Spring Awakening tells the story of stifled youth in a small community in 1890s Germany. Unsatisfied with his elders and educators, the headstrong Melchior takes it upon himself to teach his peers about their changing bodies and desires. This new knowledge and the cultural pressures of the village ignite a fallout of dangerous choices as the young adults navigate intimacy, abuse, violence, and self discovery. Based on Frank Wedekind’s controversial play, and set to a haunting folk-rock score by Duncan Shiek this 2006 musical has become a popular platform for the voices of misunderstood youth, a cautionary tale, and ultimately a message of hope.